Piano-action.



No. 678,638. Patented luly I6, l90l.

V BESSIER PI ANO ACTION.

[Application filed Dec. 28, 1900.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES provements in Piano-Actions, of which the fol- ATENT FFIQE.

VETAL BESSIER, OF- BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PIANO-A GTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Eatent No. 678,638, dated July 16,1901. Application filed December 28, 1900, Serial No. 41,379. (Nomodel.)

To atZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VETAL BESSIER, of the city of New York, borough ofBrooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Imlowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to grand and upright pianos; and its object is toprovide a new and improved piano-action whereby the performer is enabledto cause a stronger or weaker throw of the hammer without varying thethrow of the key to sound the strings louder or softer.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out inthe claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both thefigures.

Figure l is a sectional side elevation of a grand-piano action providedwith the improvements, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional frontelevation of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

In grand pianos as heretofore constructed the action is shifted sidewisewhen the performer touches the piano-pedal, so that the hammers strikeonly two strings instead of three, as is the case when the pedal isreleased, and the action shifts back to a normal position. Now when thehammer strikes the two strings the latter cut into the hammerfelt, andwhen the hammer subsequently strikes the three strings the tone producedis uneven, as the third string receives a harder blow than the othertwo.

In upright pianos the hammer-rail is moved toward or from the stringsupon pressing or releasing the soft pedal; but this arrangement isdefective, as the hammer-butt is raised about one-eighth of an inch fromthe jack, and when the key is struck the leather on the butt-end is cutand worn out in a very short time, with a consequent bad touch of thekey as the result.

To overcome the defects mentioned in both grand and upright pianoactions, I provide the improvement presently to be described in detail,the improvement being shown in con nection with a grand-piano action;but it is evident that the same improvement also applies toupright-piano actions. I

The regulating-rail A is mounted to slide in bearings B in the sides ofthe piano-action frame B, and the ends of this regulating-rail A areconnected with the soft-pedal mechanism O, under the control of theperformer, to permit the latter to shift the rail A up or down for thepurpose hereinafter more fully v described.

On the rail A are held the usual buttons D, adapted to be engaged by theheels F of the jacks F, fulcrumed on the jack-rockers G, connected withthe key-rockers II on the keys I. Each jack F operates in the usual manner on the butt-end J of the hammer J, adapted to strike the strings Kwith more or less force, according to the position of the rail Arelative to the heels F of the jacks F.

Now when the soft-pedal mechanism 0 is in a normal position the rail Ais at the uppermost end of its guideways B, so that when a key ispressed the heel F of the corresponding jack F strikes its button Dsomewhat later than when the rail A is in a lowermost position and thekey is pressed. Thus when the rail A is in an uppermost position and akey is pressed the jack F is thrown oif of the butt-end J later, so thatthe hammer J strikes the strings K with full force; but when the rail Ais in a lowermost position the heel F of the jack strikes its button Dvery soon, and consequently the jack F is thrown off of the butt-endbefore the hammer J receives its full throw, and consequently the hammerstrikes the strings with less force. Thus without shifting thepiano-action sidewise, as in grand-piano actions heretofore constructed,or moving the hammer-rail towardor from the strings I produce far betterresults by shifting the regulating-rail to increase or decrease thedistance between the heel F and the button D.

I do not limit myself to the particular construction of the meansdescribed for varying the distance between the heels of the jacks andthe buttons in the rail, as the same may be varied without deviatingfrom my invention. It is evident that the rail may, for instance, bemade to swing for the purpose mentioned instead of being made to slide,as shown and described. The rail, of wood, is reinforced on its sides bymetal strips, (see Fig. 1,) extending throughout the length of the railto prevent it from sagging or working.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A piano-action having jacks, a regulating-railmounted to slide in bearings on the piano-frame and adapted to engagethe heels of said jacks to control the escapement of the jacks to letthe hammers off sooner or later, and a pedal-action connected with saidregulating-rail to allow the player to move said regulating-rail atwill, as set forth.

2. A piano-action having jacks, a regulating-rail mounted to slide inhearings on the piano-frame, buttons on the said regulatingrail and inalinement with the heels of the said jacks, and a pedal-action connectedwith the said regulating-rail to allow the player to move the saidregulating-rail at will and bring the buttons in engagement with theheels of the jacks to control the escapcment of the jacks to let thehammers ofif sooner or later, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

VETAL BESSIER.

XVitnesses:

THEo. G. I'IOSTER, EVERARD BOLTON lVLARSHALL.

